Child



(No Model.)

J. M. PAIRCHILD & J. OOONNOR.

SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC OIRGUlTS. No. 348,456. Patented Aug. 31, 1886,

WITNESSES. f IN VENTOR:

fl'fl ATTORNEY S.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN MURRAY FAIROHILD AND JAMES OOONNOR, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 348,456, dated August31, 1886.

(No model.)

To all whom it 71mg concern.-

Be it known that we, J OlIN llIURRAY FAIR- CHILD and Jimins OCoNNon, ofPortland, in the county of lllllltllOlllull and State of Oregon, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Switches for Electric Circuits,of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to switches for electric circuits; and it consistsin the peculiar construction and combination of parts whereby anelectric current may be switched from one circuit to another, or whichmay serve as a cut-out for the lamps of an electric-light circuit.

Figure l is a plan view of the cut-out with the outer ease removed, andFig. 2 is asection through the line a a; of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, A A represent two parallel rectilinearly-sliding bars,which slide in the straps or keepers a a of the metal guidepieccs 1.These two bars are connected to gether, so as to have the same motion,by a hard-rubber bridge-piece, B; but are electrically insulated fromeach other. The two bars A A and cross-bar 13 move together after themanner of the bolt of a lock, and they are actuated in one direction bya key whichis fitted upon a key-pin, c, and whose bit engages with anotched plate, I), attached to the cross-bar B, while a spiral spring,I-I, serves to draw them in the opposite direction.

G is a detent, which is in the nature of a fiat spring,with a bend orshoulder that engages with the crossbar B when the bars A A are adjustedto the right, and holds the said bars against the tension of the spiralspring.

C (J are bindingposts, which connect with the opposite poles of thedynamoelectric machine or other source of electricity. Thesebinding-posts connect through wires 6 cand guide-plates I I with thesliding bars A A.

In line with the bars A A, at one end, are two contacts, F F, which arebifurcated, so as to grasp the ends of the bars .A A, and are alsoprovided with binding-posts F F. At the opposite end are two similarcontacts, D D, connected by bar D. Now, when the bars A A are thrown tothe right by the key, the detent G catches and holds the crossbar B inthis position, and the line-circuit from the binding posts O O is put inconnection through bars A A with the contacts F F and the electriclights that may be included in the circuit T. V/ hen it is desired tocut out the current from the circuit of contacts F F, the detent G ispressed down out of engagement with the cross-bar G, and spiral springII then throws the bars A A to the left, disconnecting them fromcontacts F F and connecting them electrically with D D and theirshort'circuit bar 1); or, if it be desired to cut out the circuit F Fand .establish another, the two contacts D D, instead of being connectedby bar D, may be connected by wires, as in dotted lines, to separatebindingposts E E, in which case the main-line current, instead of beingshort circuited through the instrument, is shunted to another curcuit,\V.

The parts as so far described are mounted upon a back board or base, L,which is covered by a case, M, and in this case is a pushbutton and pin,0, which rests upon the detent G, and permits the detent to be removedfrom crossbar B, so that the switch-bars A A may be shifted by thespring. The outer case has also a key hole and a window, through whichlatter a faceplate, R, moving with the bars A, is made to show off oron, according to the position of said switchbars.

In fixing the position of the contacts F F and D D they are so spaced oradjusted that the bars A A pass into cont-act with one pair beforeleaving the other pair, thus avoiding any break in the continuity of thecurrent on the main line.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new is 1. Theparallel and rectilinearly moving metal bars A A, insulated from eachother, but connected mechanically by non-conducting cross-bar B, incombination with guideplates and two contacts at each end arranged inline with the bars, and means for actuating the bars A A, substantiallyas shown and described.

2. The parallel and rectilinearly moving metal bars A A, insulated fromeach other, but connected mechanically by non-conducting cross-bar B, incombination with guideplates, the contacts F F and D D, at oppositeends, the spring H, key-plate Z), and pin a, the detent G, and the casehaving push-pin, and adapted to bear upon and release detent G,substantially as and for the purpose described.

JOHN MURRAY FAIRCIIILD. JAMES OCONNOR. Vitnesses:

HARRY O. BOYD, U. K. ARNOLD.

